Tubby Smith: Utilizing a Zone Defensive System

with Tubby Smith, Texas Tech Head Coach; former University of Minnesota Head Coach Head Coach, former University of Kentucky Head Coach 1998 NCAA Champions!

'98 National Coach of the Year

Coach Smith is committed to the fundamentals of tough, pressure man-to-man defense as a prerequisite for a solid zone defense. He sites many reasons for employing zone including: slowing the game down, change pace, rebounding and neutralizing good post players. Smith shares his version of the 2-3, 3-2 and 1-3-1 zone defenses and credits Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) for sharing many of these concepts while they coached together on the Olympic staff. With a 5-on-5 setting, Smith details each position in the zone and their role in every situation. For instance, Smith wants his best perimeter defender to be on the right side of the opponent's zone. This defender plays the point guard on the inside shoulder and keeps the ball out of the middle. The other guard is responsible for taking away the flash into the mid-post area. Playing zone against the opponent's baseline out of bounds is an important piece of this zone package as well. This is a great addition to any zone defense library!